Will and leadership

Over the decades, the term "leader" has been increasingly enriched with romantic connotations and characteristics that have progressively made him more than a model of "someone", a model of "something".

Will and leadership

I mean that all the optimistic projections that one would like to belong to human nature have been placed in this figure, thus making it something totally detached from reality. Leadership has to do with a person's ability to lead other people towards a shared goal. And to do this, it is necessary to activate dynamics and techniques that serve to feed one's self-control, to abandon stereotyped behaviors, as an old “Master of the ironworks” of the late 19th century (see the novel by George Ohnet).

Emotions play an extraordinary and irreplaceable role in our life, influencing us in every moment of our existence, but it is our rationality that shows us the way to create a logical project that is consistent with our premises. Our sensitive-emotional nature feeds our perceptions and desires, but it is on a rational level that we find the power to think and to want. And changing one's natural inclinations is an activity that requires will. Will is a conscious / rational process of self-conditioning towards a precise behavioral choice.

So, it's about feeding the “noble” part from the aspiring leader: rationality. We all presume to argue rationally and justify our behaviors in light of their alleged logic. And that's what must inspire a leader. Then there is the normative value of reason. In order to understand the behavior of others we must assume that they are on the whole rational beings; without this assumption, we could not attribute to them the desires and beliefs on the basis of which we interpret their behavior. Kahneman explained to us that behaviors are mainly irrational, but to understand this we needed to rationalize them. A leader must not desire, but choose to respect people, to believe in their potential, to value them to enhance their potential. It must be a rational choice, which implies respect for the people who interact with the leader, assuming that they are endowed with feelings, emotions and rationality. This is the key to overcoming individualism and adopting behaviors based on a cooperative spirit and responsibility towards others but to understand this we needed to rationalize them.

A leader must not desire, but choose to respect people, to believe in their potential, to value them to enhance their potential. It must be a rational choice, which implies respect for the people who interact with the leader, assuming that they are endowed with feelings, emotions and rationality. This is the key to overcoming individualism and adopting behaviors based on a cooperative spirit and responsibility towards others but to understand this we needed to rationalize them.

A leader must not desire, but choose to respect people, to believe in their potential, to value them to enhance their potential. It must be a rational choice, which implies respect for the people who interact with the leader, assuming that they are endowed with feelings, emotions and rationality. This is the key to overcoming individualism and adopting behaviors based on a cooperative spirit and responsibility towards others assuming that they are endowed with feelings, emotions and rationality.

This is the key to overcoming individualism and adopting behaviors based on a cooperative spirit and responsibility towards others assuming that they are endowed with feelings, emotions and rationality. This is the key to overcoming individualism and adopting behaviors based on a cooperative spirit and responsibility towards others.

‍

About the author

Giuseppe Ando is a C-Level & Executive Coach - Associate Partner at the acclaimed Marshall Goldsmith Stakeholder Centered Coaching. With a career that presides at the crux of the Venn diagram of Passion, Skills, and Experience, Giuseppe’s reputation as top executive coach has spanned decades. Among his many accolades, he is also recognized for his unique ability to understand and inspire those he coaches to excel professionally and personally while also delivering their organization’s desired results.